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(the story of an eBay feedback removal)
Some people don't know when to quit.
The story starts when eBay user babyzoebaby deposited this neutral in my feedback regarding five Hello Kitty bean bags -
RECEIVED; BUT SMELLED OF SMOKE AND HAD PET? HUMAN? HAIR ALL OVER
Oh, my God, hairs! And they smelled like smoke! Run for the exits!
Par for the course for yet another non-reader who had not bothered to ask any questions, ask for a refund or adjustment, or communicate anything whatsoever at any point in time.
So, since my 'Me' page (incorporated into every listing by reference, for anyone who doesn't already know this) covers smoke, etc., and I quote -
I'm not the original owner of nor do I know the history of any item, and make no representation about whether any item has been exposed to smoke or anything else
I replied -
As they say, reading IS fundamental. My 'Me' page covers history/smoke IN DETAIL
And, of course, following my policy of alerting the selling public to goof-ball bidders, and to discourage her from leaving idiotic feedback in the future, I left her this negative -
Didn't bother to actually READ the listing. 2 words for you: 1) tape 2) Fabreeze
Apparently, even though it contained a concise, not to mention free, exposition of the solution to her problem (although I did misspell "Febreze" and I promise to never, ever again assume that the people who concoct brand names at Procter & Gamble pay any attention whatsoever to the rules of English spelling), that didn't set too well with babyzoebaby, as she then left this lovely follow-up -
BEWARE!LIST'G SAYS "EXC COND" SELLER'S RESP 2 CLEAN; RETALIATION4 NEG FEEDBACK:(
Well, I'll be hornswoggled. It's the seller's responsibility to clean all items! Whodda thunk it? I'd check it in eBay's rules, but I don't live in fantasyland.
Beware, I tell ya, beware! I don't spend hours cleaning up and doing microscopic inspections for hairs on $2 items!
eBay not being Yahoo! with unlimited replies, I gave readers a final comment as a reply to the next feedback down the page -
Re: babyzoebaby: Item as described. Non-readers seem to make up rules as they go
And over on her feedback, where she left the same comment minus the truly earth-shaking "BEWARE!" I said this -
Item was as described. NON-READERS seem to like to make up new rules as they go
That ought to wrap things up, right?
In my dreams. Unfortunately, once the delusional sink what they think are their razor-sharp teeth into your ankle, they don't let go until you beat them like a rented mule.
Thus, two days later, this feedback appears from **harrison**, from whom I've previously had the privilege of hearing exactly nothing -
"SELLER DOESN'T ANSWER MY E-MAILS!!!!!!! BEWARE!!!! DO NOT BUY FROM!!!"
Hey, that's just a tiny bit suspicious, isn't it?
Could that possibly be related to that giant of philosophical thought about auctions and hair, babyzoebaby?
A two minute investigation revealed that it was none other than the great baby herself, and therefore this response to **harrison** -
Ah, yes, babyzoebaby (below) bid to throw me a bouquet. Wave to baby! Hi baby!
for the amusement of feedback readers, along with this feedback comment to **harrison** -
And here we have the not very bright alter ego of babyzoebaby. Not for long.
Uh, oh.
Think baby has gotten the idea that the jig may be up?
Probably not. It always comes as a surprise to those who are a bit, to put it charitably, dim.
Carrying through on my implication that I would start the clock ticking on **harrison**, this went to eBay -
The feedback left falls under this eBay feedback abuse provision: "Feedback left by a member who bid on or purchased an item solely to have the opportunity to leave negative feedback for the seller, with no intention of completing the transaction."
It was left in conjunction with item 3194386905 purchased by Juliana HARRISON, user name babyzoebaby.
I left negative feedback for Harrison on item 3194386905 on Jun-20-04 at 10:33. Harrison responded on Jun-20-04 at 17:36.
2 minutes later Harrison did a followup to her feedback to me on 3194386905.
11 minutes after that, **harrison** bid on 5904192170, an auction due to end in less than an hour.
No e-mail or contact of any kind was received from **harrison** either before or after the auction ended, yet two days later **harrison** leaves the feedback: "SELLER DOESN'T ANSWER MY E-MAILS!!!!!!! BEWARE!!!! DO NOT BUY FROM!!!".
In addition to the foregoing, additional evidence that Harrison and **harrison** are either closely related or one and the same person is abundant:
Harrison/**harrison** both seem to be partial to the use of asterisks in user names, as Harrison has another eBay user ID, *zoebaby*. No doubt Harrison would have preferred *harrison* to **harrison**, but *harrison* was taken by someone else.
Harrison/**harrison** also both seem to be partial to the use of upper case letters for derogatory feedback (not that that's terribly unusual), as all feedback (original, reply and followup) from Harrison and **harrison** on these two items has been solely in upper case.
Both Harrison and **harrison** use the same ISP, dfx.ca.
Both Harrison and **harrison** list Point Roberts, Washington (perhaps used as a mail drop to avoid customs duties) as their location, even though both have Canadian telephone numbers, one in BC, just across the border from Point Roberts, and the other in Ontario, many hundreds of miles away.
Obviously, Harrison and **harrison** are somehow related and the sole purpose of bidding on 5904192170 was to have the opportunity to leave negative feedback, with no intention of completing the transaction.
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this matter.
And, lo and behold, within 24 hours, the **harrison** negative was removed and the **harrison** account was suspended.
Now, I don't know if the suspension was temporary or permanent, or if eBay used anything in their files in addition to what I provided to arrive at their conclusion.
They might have noticed (I didn't bother pointing it out) that the nominal owner of the **harrison** account, supposedly some fellow by the name of Ben Marlin, also uses the word "harrison" in the contact e-mail address. Had to leave something for the eBay sleuths to discover, hot on the trail left by that master of deception, the oh-so-ingenious and well-disguised baby.
In any case, hapless Harrison netted two negatives, one suspended account (which may or may not have been hers, if not, I'm sure Ben is just thrilled about it), a probably quite extensive notation in her eBay record regarding conduct unbecoming of an eBay user, and probably a nice warning from eBay to knock it off.
And, contrary to what one often sees claimed on various boards, eBay obviously does, in fact, take action against at least some of those who deserve it.
When you're acting like an idiot, are told as much, and then insist on compounding your idiocy, sometimes there are unintended consequences.
Ask baby, she'll fill you right in.
Ouch, my foot hurts!
Just as soon as she gets done with those bandages.
Meanwhile, everybody wave to baby! Hi baby!
Update
As I commented to a reader, this dolt and I never exchanged a single e-mail, so I never really had a chance to draw her out and discover how truly dysfunctional she probably is.
Well, I should probably modify that to say we never exchanged an intentional e-mail.
I say that because Harrison, for unknown reasons, added my address to an e-mail to someone else about something entirely unrelated to this transaction, and it seems a reasonable assumption that it wasn't intentional.
Odd, to say the least.
I'm not quite sure how little attention you have to be paying to what you're doing to accomplish that feat, but when you're not firing on all cylinders, it's probably not too difficult.
In any case, that was how I discovered the existence of her *zoebaby* ID. And, technically, we didn't "exchange" any e-mail, as that e-mail arrived and I merely took note of the other ID and didn't reply, as I has bigger fish to fry, and the frying would be done in eBay's pan, which had just serendipitously gotten a little hotter.
But, wait, it gets even more odd.
A few days later, this e-mail showed up out of the blue addressed ONLY to me about some item I've never heard of and which once again had absolutely nothing to do with either me or this transaction -
I wanted to follow up and see if you have received your package as of yet.
And thus we learn that she uses a "follow up" about delivery to beg for feedback. Or, alternatively, to beg for an e-mail which she can use as an excuse to beg yet again for feedback.
Does it get any more lame or annoying than that?
I think not.
If her eBay sales don't work out, I'm sure she'd do well with a cardboard sign down at the Interstate exit ramp. She's a natural.
Will work for feedback!
Kind of makes me a little sad that I didn't e-mail her a few well chosen words in the middle of the feedback process, as the evidence seems overwhelming that we may have missed out on a full-fledged member of the Hall.
Oh, well.
Everyone, wave to baby! And be sure to leave feedback for baby!
If you don't, she'll never stop bothering you.
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